Choo Shin-soo, SSG Landers Hype Up KBO’s Preseason
South Korean baseball player Choo Shin-soo and team SSG Landers steal the spotlight as Korea Baseball Organization (KBO)'s preseason begins on Saturday, March 20.
The 38 years old player, who is a 16 year-major league veteran, had signed a contract for the SSG Landers last month, and he would make his first appearance in KBO on Saturday at 1 pm, as Landers will be 400 Kilometers southeast of Seoul to defend the Korean Series Champions.
The player became an instant figure in KBO when he signed a contract with the Landers last February. He has a record of 218 homers, 782 RBIs in the majors, and topped in both categories among all Asian players, which made him a great deal for the team.
Choo reportedly had been in Landers' camp since March 11 but did not play any unofficial practice games. He was the first to sign for the Landers after the Shinsegae group bought the team that was formerly known as SK Wyverns.
On March 30, Teams are set to play 10 games and have a day off, which is set on the next Wednesday. Games are set to begin by 1 pm, but teams are given the liberty to request to the league if they want to reschedule the game to 6 pm, so players can adjust playing under the lights. Four games were set for the said schedule, while other game schedules could also be moved around.
However, because of the health guidelines set by the government amid pandemic, sports teams can only accept 10 percent of the audience for areas in greater Seoul, while 30 percent to other places outside the area. This is to adhere to social distancing rules.
Other weekend series opening will also include the Kiwoom Heroes versus the Lotte Giants in Busan, the KT Wiz against the Doosan Bears in Seoul, the LG Twins taking on the Hanwha Eagles in Daejeon, and the Kia Tigers against the Samsung Lions in Daegu.
